Men’s Health Week motivation alive and kicking
All around Australia, the Local Drug Action Team (LDAT) program is bringing people together to tackle the challenges of drugs and alcohol at a grassroots level.
We know that reducing the harms from alcohol and drugs is a team effort. So it’s not surprising sport is a common ground that many LDATs and other ADF programs share.
Playing sport and being part of a team promotes positive social behaviour, like developing friendships, trust and empathy. It protects against the stress and anxiety that often lead to drug and alcohol use.
That’s why being involved in sport is healthy not just for the body but also for the brain.
To celebrate Men’s Health Week, the Community Hub is sharing inspiring stories that showcase people and programs making a positive, protective contribution to their community.
Youth team taking mental health by the horns
In the Victorian Mallee shire of Buloke, the giant bull mascot on the main street of Birchip reminds people what local folk are made of. But a reputation for toughness is no help when mental health starts to decline. In fact, that reputation can even get in the way.
The Buloke Youth Led LDAT supported a Birchip community forum that looked at busting a few myths about mental health. In particular, how sport once focused only on physical fitness but now the focus is turning just as much to mental fitness.
Guest speaker Tom Boyd, premiership winning former AFL Western Bulldogs player, told the packed gathering and The Buloke Times how he struggled with mental health throughout his playing career.
While Birchip has also been struggling in recent tough times, the LDAT has put mental health front and centre. Its creative list of activities includes hosting a community meal, parenting programs, a safe partying presentation and a colour fun run where joggers of all ages were pelted with powdery puffs of paint.
Checking in with a comfortable face
It can take a fair bit of courage to step out and pedal down the road or lift weights at the gym.
When it comes to improving mental health, it can also take a bit of extra courage to step out of your comfort zone and reach out for support.
Melbourne local Clint Proctor, who works in the alcohol and other drug sector, saw a need to give community sports club members a gentle nudge when it comes to reaching out for help, checking on friends and encouraging teammates.
The new Check-me app is designed as a safe space during challenging moments.
The app sends prompts asking the user how they are doing. The user clicks on a simple emoji-style icon that indicates if they are thriving, optimistic, content, average, unhappy or miserable. It then asks if these feelings are around work, sport, relationships or other things.
The app sends a message to a designated contact at the club, like a coach, club manager or even a peer. They organise a meeting, phone call or text to catch up in a way that is comfortable for everyone.
After a successful trial at Box Hill Hawks footy club in Melbourne and seven other community sports clubs, the app is getting a few final tweaks before being publicly available in August 2021. Watch this space.
Sons rising up the wellbeing ladder
The Western Bulldogs AFL club knows all about overcoming that bottom-of-the-ladder feeling and the chase for the Premiership.
Now it is sharing this dogged determination with partner Western Bulldogs Community Foundation’s successful Sons of the West men’s health program.
The foundation is supported by local health agencies including the ADF to offer at-risk men from the western suburbs and regional areas a 10-week program to make new friends and boost their wellbeing.
The group meets weekly for education sessions about life skills. Presentations from experts include subjects like nutrition, reducing alcohol harm, mental health, gender equity and masculinity. Then they break out into a sports and light fitness session, including exercises and games.
Take a look at how it works and feel free to borrow some of their great ideas.
“After the first few weeks on the program, I noticed a change in my weight and the family also commented on the change in my general wellbeing. I now have regular medical checks, I’m more outgoing and reduced my weight significantly. Sons of the West changed my life for the good.” – Mike Dunne, Sons of the West participant.
Breaking big challenges into small steps
When there are many people around you that need help, it’s hard to know where to start. Some of them you might know well, others you might never meet.
Chris Walker knows there are many people still reeling from the impact of COVID-19. And for the former NRL star and State of Origin Maroon, standing still is not an option. That’s why he set out on foot from Cairns on April 26 and won’t stop until he walks all the way to the Gold Coast on June 30.
A brutal 1757 kms over 66 days. Every step of the way he will be whipping up support and raising money for things that really make a difference to many people’s lives.
Along with the Alcohol and Drug Foundation, his beneficiaries are Beyond Blue, RizeUp and Global Awakening. He is fighting for those who have felt the impact of poor mental health, suicide, drugs and alcohol, and domestic abuse.
They are causes very close to Chris’s heart because he has witnessed how easily issues triggered by COVID-19 experiences can slowly creep up and take over individual lives and whole communities.
Mental and physical health challenges come in all shapes and sizes. Hear Chris talk about his personal mission and how you can donate through the FundMyChallenge online app.